If USF gets the Birmingham Bowl and has to face an SEC opponent, who will it be ?
We can rule out Alabama for sure. Thank you God !!
As poorly as Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida, and Tennessee have played, they all have 8 wins, so most likely you can rule them out. Except for maybe Florida after Alabama gets through with them in the SEC championship game.
The next group is composed of 7 win teams and includes LSU, Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas. Of this group Arkansas and Georgia are the biggest under achievers of the bunch. LSU’s impressive win over Texas A&M and Kentucky’s defeat of in state rival Louisville probably qualified them for a bigger bowl.
So the group of 4 most likely opponents from the SEC in the Birmingham Bowl are Arkansas 7-5, Georgia 7-5, South Carolina 6-6 and Vandy 6-6.
Arkansas is huge on both sides of the ball and very physical. The Razorbacks average 30.8 on offense and give up 30.8 on defense. But it’s against big time competition (especially in the SEC west). They would be a tough draw because of their size. Their signature wins are 31-10 over Florida and 41-38 over TCU in 2OT. The Hogs lost to Texas A&M by 21, Alabama by 19, Auburn by 53 (A little Buzz saw action), LSU by 18 and to hapless Missou by 4 in the season finale.
Georgia won their season opener between the hedges over UNC 33-24, the Dogs won @ Kentucky by 3 and beat Auburn by 6 between the hedges. Of their 5 losses the only blowout was @ Ole Miss by 31, they lost the heartbreaker to Tennessee between the hedges on a hail Mary pass as the clock ran out by a 34-31 score. They lost to Vandy between the hedges by 1, to Florida in Jax by 14 and their season finale between the hedges by 1 to arch rival Ga Tech. Georgia’s 3 home losses has to be an all time record for the Dogs and by a total of 5 points !!! Georgia is a very talented team and after this year they are no longer inexperienced. Georgia averaged 24 ppg and gave up 24.1 ppg.
South Carolina had a decent initial season under Muschamp. The Gamecocks averaged 19.3 ppg offense and gave up 24 ppg defense. At 6-6, South Carolina was in most games except the 56-7 blowout loss to Clemson in Death Valley. The Cocks signature wins were 3 point sqeakers over Vandy and Tennessee. A typical SEC defense with a below par offense.
Vandy 6-6 has a nasty defense. They ranked 5th in the SEC giving up 22.6 ppg. The Commodore offense is a little under par at 23.5 ppg. Vandy was in every game except for the 31 point loss @ Ga Tech in week 3. Signature wins were @ WKU 31-30 OT (WKU failed 2 pointer in 1st OT), @ Georgia by 1, Ole Miss by 21 and Tennessee by 11 in the season finale.
These 4 teams are the Bulls most likely opponents if we get invited to the Birmingham Bowl. My guess is either Vandy or South Carolina. I hope we draw Vandy, because they ended their season on an upswing and beating them would be a positive. That said, beating them is the trick. Vandy played the big boys tight and they are big, fast and tough. We also recruit against them a lot.
We can rule out Alabama for sure. Thank you God !!
As poorly as Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida, and Tennessee have played, they all have 8 wins, so most likely you can rule them out. Except for maybe Florida after Alabama gets through with them in the SEC championship game.
The next group is composed of 7 win teams and includes LSU, Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas. Of this group Arkansas and Georgia are the biggest under achievers of the bunch. LSU’s impressive win over Texas A&M and Kentucky’s defeat of in state rival Louisville probably qualified them for a bigger bowl.
So the group of 4 most likely opponents from the SEC in the Birmingham Bowl are Arkansas 7-5, Georgia 7-5, South Carolina 6-6 and Vandy 6-6.
Arkansas is huge on both sides of the ball and very physical. The Razorbacks average 30.8 on offense and give up 30.8 on defense. But it’s against big time competition (especially in the SEC west). They would be a tough draw because of their size. Their signature wins are 31-10 over Florida and 41-38 over TCU in 2OT. The Hogs lost to Texas A&M by 21, Alabama by 19, Auburn by 53 (A little Buzz saw action), LSU by 18 and to hapless Missou by 4 in the season finale.
Georgia won their season opener between the hedges over UNC 33-24, the Dogs won @ Kentucky by 3 and beat Auburn by 6 between the hedges. Of their 5 losses the only blowout was @ Ole Miss by 31, they lost the heartbreaker to Tennessee between the hedges on a hail Mary pass as the clock ran out by a 34-31 score. They lost to Vandy between the hedges by 1, to Florida in Jax by 14 and their season finale between the hedges by 1 to arch rival Ga Tech. Georgia’s 3 home losses has to be an all time record for the Dogs and by a total of 5 points !!! Georgia is a very talented team and after this year they are no longer inexperienced. Georgia averaged 24 ppg and gave up 24.1 ppg.
South Carolina had a decent initial season under Muschamp. The Gamecocks averaged 19.3 ppg offense and gave up 24 ppg defense. At 6-6, South Carolina was in most games except the 56-7 blowout loss to Clemson in Death Valley. The Cocks signature wins were 3 point sqeakers over Vandy and Tennessee. A typical SEC defense with a below par offense.
Vandy 6-6 has a nasty defense. They ranked 5th in the SEC giving up 22.6 ppg. The Commodore offense is a little under par at 23.5 ppg. Vandy was in every game except for the 31 point loss @ Ga Tech in week 3. Signature wins were @ WKU 31-30 OT (WKU failed 2 pointer in 1st OT), @ Georgia by 1, Ole Miss by 21 and Tennessee by 11 in the season finale.
These 4 teams are the Bulls most likely opponents if we get invited to the Birmingham Bowl. My guess is either Vandy or South Carolina. I hope we draw Vandy, because they ended their season on an upswing and beating them would be a positive. That said, beating them is the trick. Vandy played the big boys tight and they are big, fast and tough. We also recruit against them a lot.
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